The BBC has appointed Media Planning Group as its new media agency, completing a formal review which started in October 2006.MPG will work with the BBC’s marketing department to plan and buy media space for specific marketing campaigns and to provide market insight and analysis.BBC director of marketing, communications and audiences, said: “I am delighted… Continue reading MPG Wins BBC Contract

Emap is creating three digital director roles, for its radio, specialist and lifestyle divisions in order to accelerate its multimedia strategies.Working with the leadership teams in these businesses, Emap says that the new roles will help develop and execute the digital strategy and deliver the profit & loss digital targets across the radio, specialist and… Continue reading New Digital Director Roles At Emap

Sir Richard Branson’s company, Virgin Media, is said to be in secret talks with Channel 4 to sponsor Big Brother, after the news that Carphone Warehouse pulled the plug on their deal.According to reports in the trade press, if the two companies do reach a deal, Virgin Media could gain exclusive access to video-on-demand content,… Continue reading Virgin Media Could Sign Big Brother Deal

Michael Grade, ITV chief executive, has the support of City analysts for his attempts to end the broadcaster’s contract rights renewal (CRR) mechanism. However, according to a report in Broadcast magazine, he faces strong opposition from media buyers. The report quotes a major media buyer as saying: “”Our clients want a bigger and stronger ITV,… Continue reading Support For Grade On CRR

Almost 70% of women claim that they could not live without the internet, according to new research from IPC Southbank, publisher of women’s monthlies such as Marie Claire and In Style.Southbank’s Web Wise Women research questioned more than 4,000 ABC1 women, finding that they are spending more time on the internet than ever before, with… Continue reading 70% Of Women Couldn’t Live Without The Internet

Now publishing director Andrew Sumner has announced the appointment of Beverley Watts as the new online editor of Now.Watts has been assistant editor of Now since its launch in 1996, and will take overall responsibility for the editorial development of www.nowmagazine.co.uk – which re-launched last summer.In this new role Watts will report directly to new… Continue reading Now Gets New Online Editor

Chrysalis-owned Galaxy has brokered a 13 week sponsorship deal with low cost airline Jet2.com to promote their new service Jet2holidays.com.The sponsorship, beginning on March 19, will include on-air promotions and sponsorship idents as well as online competitions and banner adverts.The deal will run across the Galaxy breakfast shows in Manchester (Wes @ Breakfast) and Yorkshire… Continue reading Galaxy Signs Package Holiday Sponsorship Deal

Aegis has announced that its total revenue increased 14.5% in 2006, to £996.9 million, up from £870 million in 2005. The group’s organic revenue grew 7.7%, with Aegis saying that it the company grew faster than the marketing services industry as a whole, as it has for each of the past ten years. Underlying operating… Continue reading Aegis Records 2006 Revenue Increase

Cable TV set top box manufacturers enjoyed a record year in 2006 as cable operators around the world signed up millions of new digital cable subscribers, according to new research from In-Stat. Fuelled by a sharp rise in demand for cable set top boxes in China, worldwide digital cable set top box unit shipments increased… Continue reading Cable TV Enjoyed Record 2006 Worldwide

Total US advertising expenditures in 2006 increased 4.1% to $149.6 billion as compared to 2005, according to data released today by TNS Media Intelligence. Ad spending during the fourth quarter of 2006 was up by 4.2 percent against the same period in 2005, said TNS. Steven Fredericks, president and CEO of TNS, said: “Total advertising… Continue reading US Advertising Expenditures Show 2006 Increase